OUR BUDGET - According to George Caulkin from the MAG
According to GEORGE CAULKIN, who is a far more reliable source than most of the other sports trolls:
With regards to Newcastle United's Transfer Window: 'January, they insist, took them to the limit of what they can do with FFP and although the Champions League and new commercial deals all help, this summer will be relatively tight. Earlier this week, an executive at the club asked me what I thought they could do to get the message out about FFP. I expect them to talk about it publicly soon.
My understanding is that Newcastle will look to spend around the £100million mark and, the way things are looking now, the bulk of it will go on two quality, elite players with the rest made up of bargains and perhaps loans. This is just a guide, though, and perhaps not very useful.
Newcastle have pushed things in every other window when circumstances have demanded it (which is a good thing; it shows they can be flexible and react quickly). Somewhere down the line, though, they will have to begin balancing the books and bring money in. All the big clubs do it. It can’t just all be in one direction.’
Like every club Newcastle United have to operate within the FFP rules. The Mike Ashley legacy both helping and hindering the new owners. Of course, the negatives of the Ashley legacy are far bigger than the positives when it comes to FFP, as is the case with every area of the club that the new Newcastle United owners inherited. Lack of investment and any ambition meant that serious money had to be spent just on avoiding relegation AND then further significant spending obviously needed to make NUFC competitive in the top tier, with also very few players that Eddie Howe might be happy to sell, who could raise any serious funds. The small positive of the Mike Ashley era was that the shockingly low spend on players in recent years, meant a lot of leeway in terms of allowing the new owners to put money into the club and spend on players in the opening windows, compared to the minimal cash brought in by player sales so far.
As George Caulkin also says though, is that whilst FFP is obviously a factor when it comes to what Newcastle United might do in this transfer window (or any other), his understanding is that NUFC are still likely to spend around £100m in this window.
George suggesting the vast bulk of this to go on two top players / signings, this very much echoes what a couple of the other more credible NUFC journalists have been claiming in recent days.
The man from The Athletic also adding that in the three transfer windows so far, especially the first two, the Newcastle United owners have pushed things further than maybe they initially intended AND certainly spent more money than the vast majority of the NUFC media were claiming as budgets at the start of each window.
Newcastle United have clearly brought in far higher revenues this season than they could have possibly forecast and budgeted for AND are already guaranteed far higher again revenues next season, even if things went really badly on the pitch, as Champions League directly and indirectly generated cash plays a massive part. So that all helps massively in giving the club far more spending power within FFP parameters AND if Eddie Howe really wanted a certain player (or more), he could also potentially sell ASM who could generate maybe £40m or so and is a player who wasn’t a regular first team starter last season, which is of course before whoever arrives this Newcastle United transfer window.
Newcastle United transfer window priorities?
‘Newcastle would ideally like to strengthen with a centre-back, a full-back, two midfielders — one defensive — and a wide forward. Midfield is the priority, Dom, because Howe wants to push Bruno Guimaraes higher up the pitch, but tactical and positional flexibility has become a theme in this team. Newcastle have a lot of players who can play in various positions.’
I think this has been widely accepted for some time, that Eddie Howe wants / needs another right-footed central defender, with then potentially Lascelles leaving, another left-back, the defensive midfielder, then another couple of signings towards the front end – one a midfielder and the other a versatile attacker.
James Maddison?
‘Howe’s regard for James Maddison is well known and I think he would be a transformative signing, but where does he play? Is that really the priority? I don’t think he is and neither do Newcastle, but if they could get him, they certainly would… depending on how realistic Leicester City are about a fee (Maddison has a year left on his contract), rival suitors and personal terms.’
Nicolo Barella?
‘Nicolo Barella has been on Newcastle’s shortlist for a midfield role and is a player Howe would love to work with. There was a representative from Inter Milan in London last week but when this story broke, we were told there had been no official contact between the clubs. As far as I’m aware, that’s still the case.’
After the frenzied coverage of the past week, seemingly good and bad news. The man from The Athletic confirming that there is definite interests in Barella BUT no move to Tyneside imminent.
Interest in these other players?
‘Yup, the Wolfsburg player (Felix Nmecha) is another name on Howe’s list; a younger, cheaper option, albeit with pedigree.
‘…longstanding interest in players like Moussa Diaby of Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai, both fall out of Newcastle’s price range at present; that has come from within the club, although I’m always wary of being definitive so soon into the window. They also like Khephren Thuram of Nice.’
A very interesting overview and whilst maybe not quite as exciting for some Newcastle United fans as headlines of ‘Neymar and Mbappe set to sign for Toon Army’… good to get some guidance on where exactly NUFC may be with this Newcastle United transfer window.
Very reassuring to hear the kind of names who are on Eddie Howe’s wish list and two or three of them to land would be vey nice indeed, as well as a squad player or two.
Things can never happen soon enough in the transfer window but a very different position now.
There is definitely serious money available to be spent in this Newcastle United transfer window AND just as importantly, the NUFC owners are happy to leave the decision making in the hands of the likes of Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth.
